Flying Blind
by PentagoetPuffin
Summary: When one of Commander Maärit Sparke's squadron goes missing near her homeworld, Maärit must face her fears and return home to find answers as to where her friend has gone. With the help of Poe Dameron, a newfound friend, the two take on the rescue mission assigned to them even if it means death.
1. Leader

She landed the X-Wing in the hangar and jumped out, taking off her helmet and setting it in the seat before closing the canopy. Grabbing a band off of her wrist, she put her hair up into a messy bun as she waited for her Astromech droid, a little green and silver BB-unit that was assigned to her nearly three years ago. "Come on BB-53. We've gotta get upstairs to the debriefing."

The little droid beeped, seemingly annoyed at her.

"Five-Three now is not the time for a list of 'tweaks' that I should make to my flying. You've been trying to get me to change my technique since the day we met, and you know it's not gonna happen!" She took off all of her gear and set it in the cargo hold of her X-Wing.

Five-Three set himself down beside his friend and rolled slightly to bump into her leg.

"Alright, alright. As long as you're ready." She smiled down at the little droid who looked up at her and beeped happily. Together, they walked out of the bay and up to meet with General Organa and the other pilots who were out flying the mission.

The room was full of pilots and high-ranking officers. She could hear them all chattering, and it was slightly overwhelming for her. The noise was like a two-tonne weight on her chest and she prayed it would stop. Suddenly, with one voice overpowering the others, everyone stopped talking.

"Can I get everyone's attention?" She knew that voice anywhere. It was General Organa. Her voice and presence commanded so much respect that it was hard to mistake her for anyone else. "We lost some good pilots out there today, but we accomplished our goal. We were able to drive out the First Orderand secure our base here on Dantooine. I'm proud of all of you, especially _Black Leader_ , Commander Poe Dameron, and _Angel Four_ , Captain Maärit Sparke. The two of you were incredible out there, but I expect nothing less from our two best pilots."

Everyone in the room clapped. She hated the attention but smiled and put her hand up modestly in respect to her fellow Resistance fighters. The other pilot, Poe Dameron, did the same. He was standing across the table from her with his personal mechanic and avionics technician, Shaylin Andor. No, they were more than just pilot and mechanic. There was something else going on there and she could tell by the way that Shaylin elbowed Poe in the ribs and smiled at him. There was more in their smiles.

"Now, I know that we lost _Angel Leader_ , Zephyr Den, today, but we do need to fill the position of _Angel Leader._ " General Organa continued as she waved Maärit over. The pilots and officers made a path for her to walk over to the General. "Maärit has earned her place and it's a position that I should've given her a long time ago. I have no doubt in my mind that she will live up to her new title as Commander and new call sign _Angel Leader._ " Leia took her hand and smiled. "Congratulations, Sparky. You've earned this."

Maärit smiled nervously. "Thank you, sir." Everyone began to clap again. It was well deserved, but even still, she felt a bit uncomfortable with all of this attention.

General Organa hugged the pilot. "May the Force be with you."

They broke their embrace, and everyone was still clapping. Leia put up a hand and slowly the applause died out. "Now, go do whatever it is you do on your down time. Rest up. You'll need it." She looked around at all of the people in the room. She was proud of their efforts, but she could see how exhausted everyone was. "Dismissed."

Chatter resumed and Maärit stayed behind for a few minutes to let everyone clear out. BB-53 bumped into her leg again and she looked down at him. "Back down to the hangar? Put in a few more hours on _The Guardian_?"

The droid beeped happily and rolled around in a small circle. He loved when they were flying. Maybe it was because he knew how happy it made Maärit.

"Alright, let's get down there." She smiled and walked out of the room.

The walk back down to the bay was different than the walk up. She could feel another person not too far behind her. No, two people. It was Dameron and his "mechanic." She knew it. Who else would follow her? He probably wanted to talk to her. Congratulate her or something. She wasn't really interested at the moment. A large weight had just been placed on her shoulders and she just needed to clear her head.

Before she knew it, she was down in the bay opening the cargo hold of her X-Wing, _The Guardian_. Her thoughts were racing as she began to gear up. Once she was ready, she walked over to find the flight line director. "Hey, Harlan, I'm gonna take _The Guardian_ up for a while. I won't go far but I need a marshal."

"Sparky, you just got back and you wanna go up again?" He questioned. "Do you ever rest?"

"Don't know the meaning of the word." She smirked. "Now, can I get a marshal or not?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'll send over Pacer." The man huffed and rolled his eyes. For as long as he'd known Maärit, this is how she was, strong-willed, stubborn, and eager to be in the air. It's where she felt most at home.

"You're the best, Harlan." She turned on her heel and walked back towards her starfighter where Fiver-Three was already in the socket. She waved her hand in the air signalling to the droid that they were cleared for departure and to begin preparations for departure.

When she made it back over to her X-Wing there was someone waiting for her. She was right earlier. It was Dameron. He was looking over the blue and gold fighter. She paid him no mind as she climbed up and grabbed her helmet out of her seat.

"You're Maärit Sparke, right?" Poe asked, breaking the silence.

Maärit took her hair down and climbed into the cockpit. "And you're Poe Dameron, the most daring pilot in the Resistance."

"Well, I wouldn't go so far as to say that. I just do what has to be done and sometimes it seems stupid and dangerous but…who else would do it?"

She shook her head and let out a small chuckle. "Modest, I see. Good trait to have."

"You're headed out again?"

"Just going up to clear my head. There's not much I can do down here right now." She shrugged.

"Look, I know how stressful it is to have an entire squadron depending on you, but you've been doing this for three years now, right? You just have to keep doing what you're doing. I can show you a few tricks if you want." His words sounded genuine and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"I'd appreciate that." She didn't look down at him. She was more focused on prepping _The Guardian_ for take-off. "Maybe when I get back, we can talk more."

"Well, I'm always around. You won't find me too far from this hangar." He chuckled.

She pushed her hair back from her face as she started the engines. She noticed he stepped back, giving her plenty of room. Holding her helmet in one hand she reached up and grabbed the Transparisteel Canopy then looked over at the _Black Leader_. Her pale blue, clouded eyes met his. She could tell he was shocked. Not a lot of people knew that she was the only blind pilot in the Resistance.

"I'll see you around, Dameron." She smirked and pulled down the canopy. After making sure it's closed properly, she put on her helmet and grabbed the stick. She retracted the landing gear and pulled out of the hangar leaving behind an open-mouthed and astonished Poe Dameron. He couldn't move as he watched Maärit fly off in that blue and gold T-70 X-Wing fighter.

Shaylin walked over to his pilot and smiled. "I had the same reaction when I first found out too." He reached over and put a finger under his chin, closing his mouth. "The shock will pass." He gave him a quick kiss then punched him in the shoulder. "Now, come on. I wanna check out a few things on _Black One_ before you take her up again. Just a few recalibrations. Two-man job. Let's go." He started walking away toward the black and orange X-Wing across the hangar. It took a second for Poe to follow but once he put himself back together, he walked over to help Shaylin.


	2. Memories

Maärit, only eight years old, looked up at her mother sadly. "Why must we go, Mother? I want to stay here on Voytera with you." Her bright, orange hair and pale, clouded eyes caught the sunlight shining through the large window in the entrance hall of the palace.

Queen Olena knelt before her daughter and placed her hands gently on her shoulders. "Maärit, my light, you must be strong. You can learn many things from your father. I don't want you to go either, but it is what's best for you. Learning what goes on in the Senate is going to be beneficial when you become queen one day. Take this opportunity and learn."

She nodded and hugged her mother. "I'm going to miss you though. It won't be the same without you there."

Olena hugged her back. "I know, my child. I am always with you though." She stood as her husband returned.

Bayne Sparke, the newly elected Senator of Voytera, smiled seeing his wife and daughter. "We're almost ready to leave." He walked over and handed his wife a velveteen box. With a smile, he nodded.

"What is that?" Maärit looked back and forth between her parents.

"It's a gift for you from the both of us, Maärit." Her father said.

Her mother knelt down again and opened the box. Inside was a silver tiara with a clear crystal. Taking it out of the box, Olena placed it gently on her daughter's head. The tiara rested lightly on her forehead with the crystal sitting between her eyebrows. "That crystal is Kyber and has not been touched by any other Force-sensitive person. It will attune itself to you in time."

She reached up and touched the new piece of jewellery. Her fingers caressed every inch of the worked metal. She saw every detail with the tips of her fingers right down to the smoothness of the Kyber crystal that was adorning the piece. "I…I love it!" She hugged both of her parents who smiled.

One of the queen's attendants came running into the entrance hall. Once she stopped, she bowed then spoke. "Malady, there is someone here to see you."

"I will take my leave then," Bayne said and turned on his heels. "There is more work to be done to prepare for our trip to the Hosnian System."

The Queen nodded then turned to her attendant. "Bring in the Jedi."

"But, malady, how did you—"

"There was a change in the Force, and it was strong." She said matter-of-factly.

The attendant left and returned with a man in sand-coloured robes. His hair and beard were greying, and his eyes had seen many years of trouble. On his hip hung a lightsaber and his hand was cybernetic. He had nothing else with him as he walked into to entrance hall with the attendant.

"Malady, Jedi Master Luke Skywalker to see you." The attendant bowed and exited the hall again.

Queen Olena stepped forward and held out her hand. "Well, Master Jedi, it has been a long time since Voytera has seen one of your kind."

The Jedi took her hand and kissed the ring she wore out of respect for her high status. "The Jedi Order died out many years ago, but I hope to revive it, Your Majesty." He stood and smiled kindly at her. "And that is why I'm here today. I'm looking for students to train at the Jedi Temple."

"I know of no one here that would be of interest to you, Master Skywalker." She said softly. "Everyone who is Force-sensitive is much too old to be a Padawan."

"As a matter of fact, there is one person here who would be perfect as a Padawan learner." The Jedi looked to young Maärit standing beside her mother. "I believe your name is Princess Maärit, am I wrong?"

"N-no, sir. You're not wrong." She said nervously. What did this man want with her and how did he know that she was Force-sensitive?

"My daughter is not eligible to become a Jedi. She is the Princess of Voytera." The Queen interjected.

Master Skywalker sighed. "Anyone is eligible at the right age, Your Majesty. I believe that the young princess has the ability to become a Jedi Master with the right training. To hone her Force abilities would only make her stronger."

"There is one other problem, Master Jedi. My daughter is blind. Even if she were able to train under you, she cannot see. How would she be able to wield a lightsaber?"

"There have been many blind Jedi before her. I wouldn't underestimate her abilities. She is very strong with the Force. Just because she is blind doesn't mean that she is any less capable of doing things."

"Mother," Maärit looked up. "What is a Jedi?"

Luke knelt down in front of the small, flame-haired princess. "The Jedi are those tasked with maintaining peace and order in the Republic. We study the Jedi Code and learn the ways of the Force. We put the wellbeing of others above ourselves and serve the people of the Republic. Jedi are many things, Maärit." He reached for the thing on his belt then there was a _whoosh_ and a _hum._ "This is a lightsaber. It is an ancient weapon used by the Jedi Order. Very precise and very dangerous if used by someone who hasn't been trained."

"I will not allow the use of such a weapon in my home." Queen Olena snapped.

Luke put away his lightsaber and stood up. "My apologies, Your Majesty. I just wanted to offer your daughter as much information as I could."

Olena put a hand on her daughter's shoulder. "I am sorry, Master Jedi, but my daughter will not be joining the New Jedi Order. Her duties with the Senate and with me are far too important."

"That is rather unfortunate." He bowed his head in respect to her decision. "Then that is all I have to say. I'll leave you alone now." Luke turned and put up his hood, leaving the palace.

Maärit ran after him and grabbed his hand. "Master Jedi, I would love to come with you but…my place his here. I must learn the politics of being a queen. I _am_ sorry."

"It's quite alright, Princess. I understand your want to continue on the path of becoming Queen. Your people need a leader." He put a gentle hand on her head and smiled. She smiled back up at him then he walked away.

* * *

With a start, Maärit woke up in her bed. She was sweating and breathing heavily. "It…it was just a dream…" She put a hand to her forehead and sat up. "Just another stupid dream…"


	3. Mission

"Alright, ladies," Maärit said as she closed the Transparisteel canopy on her X-Wing and turned to the rest of Angel Squadron. "Go get some rest. It's been a hard day of flying and you've earned it."

The four other women of _Angel Squadron_ chatted and removed their gear, leaving it with their starships. The adjustment to new leadership was going well for them and Maärit was greatly relieved. It was hard for everyone to lose their commander of 5 years. Zephyr Den was one of the best commanders that the squadron had seen since it was formed back during the Battle of Jakku. Now, she had to take up the mantel and live up to the expectations of everyone around her including General Organa.

Maärit left her things with _The Guardian_ and walked over to one of her pilots, N'kya Obye, who flew as _Angel Two_. She was Maärit's right hand in this whole operation. They'd been friends since she joined the Resistance. "N'kya, you got a sec?"

The dark-haired woman looked over her shoulder as she tucked things away in the cargo hold of her fighter. "What's up, Sparky?" She took her dreadlocks out of the ponytail that held them back and took off the top half of her flight suit, tying the arms around her waist to hold it up.

"I just got word that General Organa wants to meet with you. I'm not sure what about but apparently, it's really important. You know the General." Maärit shrugged her shoulders with a nonchalant "Eh."

"Me? Of what importance am I to her?" She said raising an eyebrow.

Maärit shrugged her shoulders again. "Just come see me after you finish with the General. You know I like being kept in the loop especially when it comes to any of my girls." She smiled and put her arm around her partner's shoulders. "I'll walk with you!"

N'kya chuckled and put her arm around Maärit's waist. "Alright, then let's go." The two walked off together and made their way down the hallways until they had to part ways. At the split in the hall, Maärit went to the left to her quarters and N'kya went right, down to the logistics sector.

An hour later, Maärit was in back in the hangar with Shaylin Andor, Poe's mechanic, doing some instrumental updates for _The Guardian_. Of course, modifications had to be made to the X-Wing to account for her lack of vision and, of course, everything worked fine but the moment that Shaylin started to tinker with things, he only made them work smoother for her. Now, he was the only one she trusted to go near her fighter.

N'kya's steps echoed as she walked into the nearly empty hangar. Maärit heard and smiled. "You found me."

She walked over and sat down next to her friend and commander. "Poe told me that you two were down here. Thought I'd come let you know what the General and I talked about." She sighed as if she regretted the news she was bringing.

"You seem troubled. What's going on?"

Shaylin popped his head out of the cockpit of the blue and gold starship. When he spoke, his voice had a slight broguish accent. "Would you quit using the Force to read people's emotions and just stick to using it to 'see?' It's kinda creepy."

"I didn't use the Force, ya gearhead. I heard it in her voice! My eyes may not work but my hearing is perfect!"

" _Anyway!_ " N'kya broke up their bickering. "The general is sending me out on a mission."

"A mission?" Maärit cocked her head and looked at her friend. "What for and where to?"

"The farthest part of the Mid Rim." She sighed again. "Maärit, I wanted to do you the courtesy of telling you myself… I'm going through the Voyteran System. Actually, I'm headed to Sullust to speak with an informant."

Shaylin popped his head up again. "Sullust? That's all the way across the galaxy! You really think that this is a good idea? I mean…isn't there anyone else, oh I don't know, _not_ on Dantooine that could do this? Y'know, someone from D'Qar Base?"

Maärit cringed and stood up to walk around. "What about the Rimma Trade Route? It completely bypasses the Voyteran System and can drop you right at Sullust?"

"Pirate activity. Dangerous to go through Rimma Trade. I have to use the Corellian Trade Spine to Hoth. It's quickest and safest. I need to get there fast before our informant is found out."

"And from Hoth, you run through the Voyteran System. And of course, you can't use the hyperdrive near Voytera because of the hyperspace restrictions put in place by Queen Olena to prevent acts of piracy on their moon." Maärit paced back and forth trying to think things through.

"That's pretty much what I have to do." N'kya got up and stopped Maärit from wearing a hole in the floor.

"When do you leave?" She looked at her friend. There was worry in her eyes.

"A few hours. I have to get a few things ready." She turned to Shaylin who was still in the cockpit of _The Guardian._ "And I need an unmarked ship ready, Shay. I can't afford to be spotted. This information is too important."

The redhead jumped out of the cockpit and wiped his hands on a rag. "I guess I should get right on that, huh." He put away his things and cleaned up around Maärit's starfighter. "I'll have to finish up the latest updates later tonight, Sparky."

"Fine with me. I've gotta go do something anyway." She turned to N'kya. "Be _very_ careful going through the Voyteran System. They aren't really a fan of outsiders." And with that, she walked out of the hangar.

* * *

Maärit sat in her quarters with BB-53 in low power mode in the corner. She grabbed the bottle from her desk and poured another glass, one of many had already. Unbeknownst to her, at that very moment, something was happening near her homeworld of Voytera that would try her very heart to the breaking point. Her real test of strength wasn't leaving, it was going to be returning.


	4. Together

"Get up, kid! The General wants to see us!" The voice of Poe Dameron could be heard over the banging on Maärit's door. "Sparky!"

Maärit rolled out of bed with a groan and stumbled over to hit the button beside the door to open it. When the door opened, the light hit her face and she didn't flinch. Behind her, her room was like a dark cave with BB-53 sitting beside her bed on low-power mode. The smell of alcohol lingered on her breath as she turned and went back into her quarters. "Do you know why the General wants to see us?"

"I honestly have no idea. I was just told that she wants to see us in Logistics." He entered her room and turned on the light. Two empty bottles of whiskey were sitting on the desk in the corner. "Are you alright, Sparky?" His voice had a hint of worry in it as he walked over and picked up one of the bottles to examine it.

"Yeah, why?" She asked flatly as she gathered some clothes from her closet and walked behind a curtain to change.

"No reason." He set the bottle down and turned to her. "But it might have something to do with the two empty bottles of booze sitting on your desk. Now, tell me what's going on. You're a commander now. You need to act like it."

She walked back out wearing a black pair of fitted pants and a deep magenta shirt with tulle off the shoulders. Sitting back down on the bed, she grabbed her tall, black leather boots and put them on. "If you must know, I've been having horrible nightmares ever since N'kya left for Sullust. It's the same one over and over. It's haunting. I've tried everything to make it stop. I haven't slept in 48 hours except for when I'm blind drunk." She stood up and walked over to her desk, pushing past Poe. "Yes, I heard it and if you say anything, I'm going to hurt you." Grabbing her earrings, she turned back to him. "To be honest, I've had the idea of going out to find her cross my mind many times. I can't help shake this feeling that she's in trouble."

"Why didn't you say something? If you're worried, at least tell me."

"It's not as easy as you think. I've got connections to people. I can feel their emotions no matter how far away they are. Even if they die, I can still feel them. I never asked for this Jedi stuff, Poe. I never wanted it. I just wanna be able to see. I'd give anything to be able to see the sky with my own eyes." She started to braid her bright orange hair and tied it off with a black hair tie. She pushed the braid back then grabbed the silver tiara with a once clear, now beautiful yellow Kyber crystal. Putting it on, she let it rest on her forehead as she walked to the door.

"That's something I meant to ask you about. You're Force-sensitive so, why aren't you a Jedi?"

Maärit stopped right before the door and sighed. "My mother didn't want me to. She said that I had other duties to the Senate. To learn so that I could follow in my father's footsteps as a politician. I hated her for it but at the same time, even eight-year-old me knew that she was right. What other options did I have in this world? It was either politics or begging on some backwater planet." She slammed her fist into the button on the right side of the door, opening it. "We're done with this conversation…" She grumbled and walked out the door.

"O-Okay." He stumbled as he followed her out.

Halfway up the corridor, Maärit yelled back at him, "And don't forget to turn off the light, Flyboy! It doesn't do me any good!"

* * *

General Organa looked over the two pilots standing before her. They were like family to her, a son and a daughter. She had seen Maärit through her training, always giving her words of encouragement when she felt like she never had what it took to be a pilot for the Resistance. As for Poe, she saw so much in him. He reminded her of her brother, Luke, in so many ways. She saw such skill and his leadership qualities were beyond what she could ever imagine. As soon as she could, the General offered him a position with the Resistance which, to no surprise, he immediately accepted. Now, the two before her, having come so far on their journeys were ready to take on another one, together.

She started right in with the matter at hand. "Commander Dameron. Commander Sparke. What we are about to discuss is confidential. This information does not leave this room."

"Yes, sir." They replied in unison.

"Good. Now, I recently sent Captain N'kya Obye, on a mission to Sullust to retrieve information from an informant about the First Order's movements. On her way, she passed through the Voyteran System. There has been a problem though." She pulled up a holo-map of the Voyteran System and honed on a point near a planet and its only moon. She pointed to a spot between the two. "Her signal was lost right around here. We're not sure why or how but it hasn't come back online in two days and we're beginning to get worried. I was supposed to return to D'Qar Base recently, but then this happened."

"Um, sir, where exactly is 'here' on the map?" Maärit interjected with a raised eyebrow.

"Right between the planet Voytera and its moon, Galilea." Poe offered. "From what I've heard, it's a dangerous spot right there. The people of Voytera don't like outsiders and the people on Galilea hate the people of Voytera. It's practically a cold war between the two."

Maärit jumped in. "That's because the Voyterans shipped prisoners to their moon to keep them off the planet thinking that exiling them was the best option for everyone when it most certainly wasn't. It was stupid to do that because now the people on Galilea feel jaded by the people they once called friends. It's a mess that should have never happened. And about the 'cold war' part, it's not actually true. They would never attack each other. Voytera is a peaceful planet that hasn't taken sides in any war. They value peace above all else. And Galilea may be a place full of outlaws, but they would never start something that they knew they couldn't finish."

"They may be a peaceful people, but I feel that those tides are changing." General Organa continued with her briefing. "Something is wrong, and I need you, Poe, to figure out what's going on."

"Sir!" Maärit protested. "Sending him in there is not a good idea! At least not alone! The Voyterans hate outsiders and Poe is _definitely_ an outsider! There's no way they would even let him onto the planet! Maybe Galilea because it's a place filled with outlaws, pirates, and scoundrels but never on the planet itself. He has no chance! I have to go with him! Plus, N'kya is my right hand, my best friend. She's my responsibility."

"Maärit," Leia sighed.

"No, sir, you don't understand. As a daughter of the Senator of Voyteran and Queen Olena, I'm able to act as an emissary allowing access to both the planet and the moon. I'm an asset to this mission. As much as I hate to say it…I have to go."

With those words, Poe's jaw nearly fell to the floor. Maärit, a princess? Impossible! She was too much of a rebel to be a princess. Her outburst just now was perfect evidence of that.

General Organa closed her eyes gently and sighed. "Commander Sparke, I was just about to suggest that you _accompany_ Commander Dameron on this mission since you know the terrain and are able to keep an eye on him because we both know that he needs it. As the Voyteran princess, you are a great asset. You two will go and find out as much information as possible. My only order is," She moved her gaze harshly to Poe. "Do not engage. Do you understand?"

Poe was still in shock from finding out that his new friend was the heir to the throne of a planet. "Uh, yes, sir," was all he could manage.

"I want you two departing as soon as possible. We need to find Captain Obye before something terrible happens." She shut down the holo-map. "May the Force be with you, both."

Maärit immediately grabbed Poe by the arm and dragged him out of the room. They had to prepare for a mission that could mean death if it wasn't executed properly.


End file.
